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The Geometry of Grief Analysis of Poems by Denis Johnson and Gerard Manley Hopkins Among the most potent subject matter for any writer is grief In secret in the dark we have all felt a pain too powerful to convey It is for this reason that describing a poem as mournful is generally a compliment Why do we rave about books and films that make us cry We love these works because they give us a glimpse into another soul one with some of the same problems and vulnerabilities as we have We cry with artists because they are like us imperfect We cry and wipe away tears and go on to smile again The reconciliation that comes after a time of mourning is rejuvenating There is sometimes a feeling of such cleansing after crying as to make one wonder if happiness is all it is cracked up to be To touch upon the subjects of grief and its reconciliation or lack thereof are among the poets chief concerns Denis Johnsons poem Sway and Gerard Manley Hopkins No worst there is none Pitched past pitch of grief are examples of how poets of different eras deal with the sorrow inherent in human life Denis Johnsons title Sway is an interesting metaphor that attempts to sum up his feelings concerning grief and happiness or harmony and divergence Johnson 10 The term itself is at once comforting and unsettling achieving a duality of feeling in line with the subject matter To sway is to be accepting to move with the winds of change like a stalk of barley When something sways it does not bend too far and break off but bends one way then another always turning to a new direction as its guiding force changes This movement is reinforced by the use of the repeated phrase harmony and divergence which gives a sense of swaying in its sound There is in the idea of

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